Reciprocal reading in the context of organization of group work in foreign language lessons

Abstract

The article examines the importance of the reading process in the foreign language classroom and emphasizes that reading should be seen not only as an individual but also as a cooperative activity. Reading is often seen as an individual activity, although there are different social forms in the classroom. In order to promote not only text comprehension, the teacher should design activities that also enable the communicative use of information. The interlinking of social forms and language skills is achieved by supporting the various social forms (individual, partner, group work, frontal teaching) in the reading process, so foreign language lessons should be varied in order to increase motivation and reading comprehension. The article contradicts the idea that receptive skills are passive, as the language processing process requires mental effort and reading is therefore not only the absorption but also the interpretation of information.Special attention is paid to reciprocal reading, a method in which pupils take turns in taking on the role of the teacher and cooperatively developing the text.The close connection between receptive and productive skills is emphasized, as reading cannot be viewed in isolation but is linked to speaking, writing and listening.With reference to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), different levels of reading comprehension skills are presented. It is also argued that group work not only strengthens text comprehension, but also social and communicative skills. The article shows that a varied lesson design with strategic reading methods such as reciprocal reading can make foreign language learning more effective and motivating.